I love hosting parties. When I was a little girl, my mom was the best hostess and event planner around. Thank goodness some of her talent wore off on me. All parties follow the same general rules when planning and preparing for guests whether they be birthday, holiday, or just for fun. Here is a simple guide I follow when I entertain.
Pick a Theme
This is the most important part of throwing a hit party. Pick something based on the season and something fun and unique. As an example, my latest party theme is going to be flip-flops and lemon drops. The theme goes with the spring/early summer season and will be very fun and easy to plan. Other ideas for fun (and easy) themes are tropical paradise, ’50s night, tea party, and Margaritaville.
Food and Drink
Decide whether you are having a meal or just snacks. Plan the food and beverages to go with your theme. I am planning on having lemon cookies, lemon drop candies, and lemon loaf at my party. Along with the snacks, I will be serving lemon-drop cocktails as well as lemonade for those who want nonalcoholic beverages. My unique twist will be adding yellow food coloring to the ice cubes for a little flair. If you were using the tropical theme you could make a pineapple upside down cake and offer a unique fruit tray with tropical fruits as well as fun, tropical beverages.
Party Décor
This can be elaborate or simple, depending on your style. My party is going to be simple with just a cute yellow tablecloth and scattered lemon drops around my yellow platters of snacks. I also found a welcome sign that looks like a pair of flip-flops for my front door. For the Margaritaville theme, anything with Mexico colors (red, green and white) are fun, as well as bright colors that pop. Remember to get all the cups, plates, and silverware needed.
These are not always necessary depending on the kind of party you are having. Since my party is a Miche Purse party, the party representative takes care of cute little prizes. I have, however, done parties in the past and made little goodies bags with things pertaining to my theme in the party. My daughters birthday was a tea party with pedicures after so I got little pedicure kits, nail polish, tea bags and cute little jewelry for each of the girls.
Invites
Hit up your local craft store for fun paper. I made my own wedding invites as well as my baby shower invites. If your not crafty you can make e-invites or make an event on facebook. It’s fairly easy to create invites that match your theme, just be creative and have fun. Always do an RSVP so that you know how many people you can count on. Also, be sure you send the invites out at least two weeks before the party to give your guests time to fit it into their schedule.
Loose Ends
Always make sure you have enough seating for those that RSVP’d. Do a double check the day before the party to ensure you have everything needed. I also clean my house and make sure to have candles or scented oil going the day of the party to create a nice environment. Last but not least, relax and have fun!
